Sand reconditioning and retempering apparatus



' l l INVENTOR. EdWEu-l H Whifaker Patented Apr. 25, 1944 ,UNITED STATESPATENT-OFFICE SAND RECONDITININGIAND RETEMPER- ING APPARATUS- Y EdwardH. Whittaker,.rersey city, N. J. Y

` Original application July 9, '1941, Serial No. t 401,651. Divided andthis application October 24, 1942, Serial N0. 463,231

This invention relates to sandA reconditioning and retempering apparatuswhich maybe used in foundry plants, and vthis-application is a divisionof an application for United States patent onl Foundry plants, filed byme on July 9, 1941,

`Serial Number 401,651.

The principal object ofthe invention is to provide a' simplified sandreconditioning and retempering apparatus, employing a spray and anexcess water drainage system, with the eiiicient removal of trash andthelike from the sand.

Another object is to'provide a sand,v reconditioning and retemperingapparatus wherein the `sand is freed of trash, and the excess waterdrainage system and trash removal system are independent, so that thetrash will not clog the excess water drainage system.

Still another object is to provide anapparatus vas above described,whereby the sand is retempered evenly.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for reconditioning andretempering sand, wherein portions of the mechanism have dual functions,and the number of parts of the mechanism are relatively few, simple, notapt to get out of order and quite easy to` replace. f

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing detailed description,

taken in rconnection with the accompanying4 drawing, forming a part ofthis in which drawing: i

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the mechanism ofthe sand reconditioning and retempering apparatus, as well as ashake-out station and a conveyor, parts of the latter being inelevation.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View through a portion ofa pulverizing and trash separation chamber and a drainage and convey-Ving chamber of the sand reconditioning and retempering apparatus.

specic'ation, and

The apparatus preferably includes a bottcmlessA main body portion orframe I openat its'upper end to provide an vinlet and provided with 4endwalls II and I2 and like sidewalls I3, defining, generally, from theupper end downwardly, spray chamber I4, an intermediate or pulverizingand trash separationchamber I5, a lower or drainage and conveyingchamber I6 and a ltering chamf ber `I`I to one side'of the chamber` I 6.There may be provided also a spout or way "I8 forthe reconditioned andretemper'ed sandfand' an inclined'water trough I9. Into 'the spraychamber lwextenc'l encor-'more spray pipes or' conduits v2li,perforated' as 'at 2r through which water may be sprayed uponmaterialfalling from above. The spray pipe 20 may lextend through a slotor peep-hole 22 in lthe wall I I and be free 0f the wall I2, at itsclosed end 23, thus being movable so that a workman located outside theframe I0, as in the zone 24, may `move the pipe 20 about in the spraychamber I4. With this end in view, the pipe Z is supplied with waterthrough a flexible hose 25 having connection with a manually operablevalve yZlin a pipe lineZ'I beneath the conveying chamber I6 andextending in to a zone 28 outsidel the frame I0, where another workmanmay be `located to control the valve 26. In this pipeline 21 is anotherva1ve29 which may b 'e used to regulate the maximum flow 'of Water` thatmay be delivered to valve 25. The control 30 of 'valve 29 may beprovided with a lock or seal 3| to prevent tampering. The valve 26 maybe conu trolled by afoot lever 32, pivoted at 33, intermediate its ends,tothe Wall I2 of the frame- Ill, with treadle portion 34 projecting atone end outsidethe wall I2 andconnected at its other end, inside theframe I0, with a line 3-5 which is yOpera-tively `connectedwith thelever handle 36 of the valve 26. Aweight 31 may be provided adjacent thelever end of link 35 to normally close valve 26. y

Next, with reference to the drainage and con- 'veying chamber I6; thisis dened at its bottom by 'an inclined trough portion 40 semi-circularin cross-section as shown in Figure 2, which trough portion 40 extendsupwardly from -the filtering chamber I 1 to the upper end of spout I8.In the chamber I 5, cooperating with the trough portion 4D is a screwconveyor 4I, the shaft 420i which is journaled in bearings 43 carried bythe Walls II and I2 of I0. The purpose'of this conveyor is to allowexcess water to drain-from the sand and flow to the filtering chamber IIwhile the moist `sand is more or less slowly raised and dumped intospout I8. The shaft 42 maybe slowly rotated by motor 44, through speedreduction gearing 45, located in the zone 24.

In the pulverizing and trash separation chamber `I5 is disposed avibrating grille 50 through the openings or perforations 5I of whichsand and water may ilow, while trash, such as nails, wooden wedges,binding Wire, cores which have freed themselves from the casings, smallpieces of broken castings, etcL, will nd egress from the chamber I5through opening or outlet 52 in the wall of chamber I5, shownf in Figure2, normally closed -by `a 'yielding `apron Iorf`gat =`53- suspended 55at their lower ends, and fitting loosely inv sockets 58 open to theunder side of grille 50,

forth about' its pivoted -iaxisl' the workman to play the water whereneeded and the incidental jarring of the spray pipe 20 prevents theaccumulation of sand and ne trash thereon, which accumulation would tendto clog the perforations 2l.

Rotation of the conveyor shaft 42 also operates the grille 50 byswinging the latter back and Theconstruction is such that fumes `willnot accumulate in the apparatus, nor will it become '-ooded and thereare no gears or delicate work- The throws of cams 55 are such that thegrille Y. A 1

50 always inclines upwardly from its pivotal axis 54, so that trash andthe like,l toolarge to go through the perforations 5I, will gravitate tothe.

apron or gate 53 and, whenthere isla'sucient accumulation to overcomethe inherent tendency at the gate 53 to remain closed, will quicklyiind,-

exit, when the gate opens, sliding through the opening 52, due togravity. In order toprevent trashcfrom finding its way` to thedrainageand conveying chamber I6, the free longitudinal edge 59 of thegrille 5D may rub against a flexible wall portion 60 of chamber I5 asshown in Figure 2, this flexible wall portion 60"'being disposed ofacross suitable opening 60 inthe wall and the main body portion, and isopposite the opening 52. Trash nds an exit at opening 52 and falls intoa container 6I, supported o n a shelf 62, which, inv turn, is supportedlaterally ofirame I0.

In the filtering chamber I1 is disposed a reticulate box or lining 63containing ltering material 64, such as gravel, to catch any water bornesand, while the water may ijlow through the openings in the box 63 andthrough the outlet or opening 65 to the trough I9 and be carried away,either for re-use oras waste.

Associated with this novel sand reconditioning and retemperingapparatus, are a shake-out station 10 above and a conveyor 1I below thesand reconditioning and retempering apparatus.

The shake-out station may include a grille 12 adapted to support a flaskand mold, vibrating or shaking mechanism 13 below the grille 12, boththe. grille 'I2 andthe vibrating mechanism 13 being so disposed that thesand or trash will fall into the sand reconditioning and temperingapparatus. A c 4 The conveyor 1I may be of the endless type and includea portion 15 passing through ahousing 16 including the floor 11, uponwhichthe sand reconditioning and tempering rapparatus rests. An opening18 in the iioor 16 communicates between the housing 16 and the spout I8,so that the tempered sand will drop through the opening 18 and into Vthehousing 1G and be conveyed to the next station bythe conveyorrll.

As the sand, broken castings, trash and the like are shaken from theflask at the shake-out station, they will drop into the open-topped sandreconditioning and retempering apparatus, enter the spray-chamber I5,encounter the spray played about by the workman, the sand being whettedand the sand, trash and the like deposited upon the grille 5I),whereupon the sand andwater will drop through the perforations 5I in thegrille 50, while trash will move toward the opening 52, as has beenexplained, and be discharged from the apparatus as it accumulates. Theslow upward travel oi the wet sand, urged and turned over and over bythe conveyordl, will free it of excess water and discharge it, asproperly retempered sand, Ymi@ ,the smut l8- l y:ses

ing parts to be damaged by the trash and sand.

v l I claim:

1. In apparatus for reconditioning sand, a main body portion providingan upper chamber, an intermediate chamber having a lateral openingVin'said main body portion, and a lower chamber beneath saidintermediate chamber, water spray means in said upper chamber, a grillepivoted to said main body portion adjacent said opening, extendingacross said intermediate chamber and movable `in planes inclined.downwardly toward said opening, means for normally closing saidopening, including a gate across said opening, suspended from adjacentthe upper. end of said opening and forming, with said grille, an acuteangle, movable meansA in said lower chamber for receiVingsand and spraywater, dropped through said grille,and means, operated by movement ofsaid last named means, for swinging said grille about its pivotal axis.A

2.1Apparatus fortempering sand, comprising a main body portion providingan upper spray chamber, a pulverizing and trash separation chambertherebeneath and a drainage and conveying chamber beneath said lastmentioned chamber, said spray chamber having movable spray meanstherein, said pulverizing and trash separation chamber provided with alateral opening and a grille pivoted adjacent the lower portion of saidopening, extending across the cham ber and movable in a planeincliningdownwardly towardv saidfopening, a conveyor in said drainage vandconveying chamber, said conveyor disposed in a' plane inclining4 fromone side of the main body portion upwardly 'toward the other vsidethereof, means for operating saidconveyor, means operable by saidconveyor for swinging said grille about its pivotal: axis, andayieldableapron or gate atothe lower margin of said grille for normally closingsaid lateral opening. y

3. In apparatus for tempering sand, a main body portion' providing anupper chamber, an intermediate chamber having a lateral opening through'said' main body portion, and a lower chamber beneath said intermediatechamber, spray meansin said upper chamber, a grille pivoted adjacent'the lower portion of saidopening, extending across vsaid intermediatechamber 'and movab'lein a 'plane inclined downwardly toward saidopening',`a'"rotating conveyor'in said lower chamber, disposed in thepath of materials dropped from said grille, means for operating saidconveyor, means operableby said conveyoi` ior swinging said grille aboutits pivotal axis and gate means 'at' the` lower margin of said grillefor normallyjclosing said opening.`

4. In apparatus for tempering sand, a mainbody portion providing anvupper chamber, an interme-v diate chamber 4having fa lateral openingthrough said mainbodyportionl and a lower chamber beneath saidintermediate' chamber, spraymeans in said upper 'clfiamben'v a' grillepivot'ed' adjaf n't the lower -Vportion of vsaid opening, extendingacross 'said'in rmediate' chamber vand movable -in a plane inclineddownwardly toward said opening, a rotating conveyor in said lowerchamber, disposed in the path of materials dropped from said grille,means for operating said conveyor, means operable by said conveyor forswinging said grille about its pivotal axis including a cam rotatablewith said conveyor and a rod with one end riding upon said cam and withits other end in contact with the under side of said grille, and gatemeans at the lower margin of said grille for normally closing saidopening.

5. In apparatus for tempering sand, a main body portion providing anupper chamber, an intermediate chamber having a lateral opening throughsaid main body portion, and a lower chamber beneath said intermediatechamber, spray means in said upper chamber, a grille pivoted adjacentthe lower portion of said opening, extending across said intermediatechamber and movable in a plane inclined downwardly toward said opening,a conveyor having a shaft portion in said lower chamber, disposed in thepath of materials dropped from said grille, means for operating saidconveyor, means operable by said conveyor for swinging said grille aboutits pivotal axis, including a cam mounted upon said shaft portion and areciprocating rod with its lower end riding upon the surface of said camand its upper end in contact with the under side of said grille at alocation remote from the pivot of said grille, and `gate means at thelower margin of said grille for normally closing said opening.

6. In sand tempering and retempering apparatus, a main body portionproviding an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber, having an outlet tothe exterior of said main 'body portion, a lower chamber beneath saidintermediate chamber and a ltering chamber at one side of said lowerchamber, provided with an outlet to the exterior of said main bodyportion, spray means in said upper chamber, a movable grille a-crosssaid intermediate chamber, sloping downwardly toward said outlet, atrough in said lower chamber, extending from said filtering chamberupwardly towards said intermediate chamber and disposed beneath saidgrille, a screw conveyor in said trough and means to rotate saidconveyor to urge material therein upwardly in said trou-gh.

7. In sand tempering and retempering apparatus, a main body portionprovi-ding an upper chamber, an intermediate chamber, having an outletto the exterior of said main body portion, a

lower chamber beneath said intermediate chamber and a ltering chamber atone side of said lower chamber, provided with an outlet to the exteriorof said main body portion, spray means in said upper chamber, a movablegrille across said intermediate chamber, sloping downwardly toward saidoutlet, a trough in said lower chamber, extending from said filteringchamber upwardly -towards said intermediate chamber and disposed beneathsaid grille, a screw conveyor in said trough, means to rotate saidconveyor to urge material therein upwardly in said trough, and meansoperable by said conveyor for moving said grille into various planesinclining downwardly toward said opening.

8. In sand conditioning apparatus a main body portion provided with asand and trash inlet, a trash separation chamber below said inlet, and aconveying chamber beneath said first-named chamber, said rst-namedchamber having a lateral outlet to the exterior of said main bodyportion, a grille pivoted adjacent the lower end of said outlet,extending across said first-named chamber and movable in planes inclineddownwardly toward said outlet, a yieldable apron or gate normallyclosing said outlet and suspended from the wall above said outlet, arotatable conveyor in said second-named chamber, means for rotating saidconveyor, and means operable by said conveyor for swinging said grilleabout its pivotal axis.

9. In sand conditioning apparatus a main body portion provided with asand and trash inlet, a trash separation chamber below said inlet, and aconveying chamber beneath said first-named chamber, said first-namedchamber having a lateral outlet to the exterior of said main bodyportion and a flexible wall portion carried by said main body portion inthe wall thereof opposite said lateral outlet, a grille pivoted adjacentthe lower end of said outlet, extending across said first-named chamberand movable in planes inclined downwardly toward said outlet, andmovable over the surface of said iiexible wall portion, a yieldableapron or gate normally closing said outlet and suspended from the wallabove said outlet, a rotatable conveyor in said second-named chamber,means for rotating said conveyor, and means operable by said conveyorfor swinging said grille about its pivotal axis.

EDWARD H. W'HI'I'I'AKER.

